The Divinity
by koogle
Summary: Anna's been gone for 5 years. When she returned, Yoh reluctantly breaks off their engagement. Hurt, Anna left again. But what happened to Anna in those 5 years she's been gone? Why did she suddenly have all these new abilities? How's Yoh going to take it?
1. Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King, etc, etc…

a/n: Hey this is my first SK fic, please review, I don't care if they're bad…

Chapter 1: Memories

"_I'm sorry Anna."_

_Anna looked at him almost dumbfounded._

"…_it's just that you've been gone for five years, I don't know if…"_

_Yoh's voice trailed off and he looked around uncomfortably._

_A few seconds trailed went by before Anna finally spoke._

"_I don't really understand what you're saying Yoh…"_

_Yoh took his eyes from the ground, "There are just some things in my life that…"_

"_You mean **her.**"_

_Another moment of silence._

"_Well, yeah. And she has a name, you know."_

_Anna nodded, " I know, Utsumi, isn't it?"_

_Yoh inclined his head in assent but said nothing._

_Anna turned her head away and bit her lip. She stole a glance at Yoh. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes at ground once again._

_Tiny droplets began to touch Anna's skin but she didn't move._

_Neither did Yoh._

_With difficulty, Anna cleared her throat, which made Yoh look up._

"_Well then, I suppose I don't have much to go on here…" Anna tried to keep her voice at the same cold level. It was hard, but she was succeeding. _

"_I guess I'll go then."_

_Yoh took a little step backward, startled. _

"_Go? What do you mean by go?"_

_Anna looked at him strangely, as if what she was saying was so obvious, she didn't have to had to explain it._

"_You can't…I mean, you could stay with us, you know. You don't have to leave." Yoh said, almost pleadingly._

"_Come on, Anna. You've already been gone for five years. Why don't you just stay with us?"_

_Anna didn't look at him, she just looked at the path before her, sodding wet from the rain._

"_Thanks, but I have…other things to do." she said. Even to her own ears that sounded as lame as it can be._

"_Then why did you return in the first place?"_

_The itako didn't answer, she just turned her back on him and began to walk away._

_And the Shaman King watched her silently._

_Not moving._

_In the rain._


	2. Memories of Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, yada, yada, yada.

Chapter 2: Memories of _Memories_

Yoh squinted at the light streaming down his eyes.

It was that dream again.

_Anna._

Yoh groaned as he rolled of his bed and began stretching his muscles. It has been eight months now, why couldn't he have gotten over it?

_She was the one who left, for crying out loud! _He thought to himself and then shook his head. Those dreams meant something; he was the Shaman King, after all. He knew dreams were there for a reason. Frankly, he knew what his dreams meant.

_I'm guilty,_ Yoh thought, _I chased her away, I shouldn't have listened to Utsumi, I shouldn't have said all those things to her…_

To tell the truth, he was reluctant to break off their engagement. She was Anna, after all. If it wasn't for her, he probably wouldn't be Shaman King. But after listening to Utsumi and the others, he realized that they had a point. She _was _too far gone. She probably wasn't the same Anna who trained him five years ago. She had been gone too long.

Yoh sighed. But still, he wished it hadn't happened this way.

_Maybe I should have stopped her, begged her not to leave. I shouldn't have just watched her walk away…_

He took out a picture from his dresser. It was him and Utsumi, taken a month ago. Utsumi was smiling.

_Anna rarely smiled like that,_ Yoh thought, _but when she did, it was as if the whole room lighted up._

Yoh mentally kicked himself.

_Why am I comparing them? I already made my choice, it's done._

He closed his eyes, but snapped them open almost immediately. He sniffed the air.

_Are those waffles?_

He ran out the door, his stomach grumbling.

Anna Kyoyama flinched as the needle punctured her skin, again.

She looked at the lady in front of her, apologetically. The lady, in turn, shook her head in disapproval and took Anna's finger to mend.

Anna looked around her. It was so quiet here. So peaceful. It was like nothing could hurt her.

She wished that was true.

The lady finished examining her finger and returned to her sewing. Anna did, likewise, as well.

Briefly, her mind went back to _that_ house. _That _inn. It probably had so many people living in it now. Even without her.

Yoh.

Anna sighed, loud enough for her companion to hear it and look up. But she ignored her.

She wondered how Yoh was doing.

_He's probably alright. New girlfriend, great friends, nothing to moan about._

She looked at her finger, already healed. _I wonder if he still thinks of me, _she added as an afterthought.

Her mind flashbacked to that night. She was amazed at how far her ability to mask her feelings could do. The moment she heard what Yoh was saying, she knew she was about cry, to let her tears flow, right in front of him. Only when she was alone that she allowed herself to cry.

He was right, of course. After five years of no communication, no one would've waited that long.

She shouldn't have expected it.

A middle aged man drew close. Anna's sewing companion/mentor quickly rose and left them alone.

"Anna."

Anna looked up from her sewing, put it down, and greeted him, as well.

"Master Shotoku."

He sat down the unoccupied seat.

"I am taking Keiji with me to the Shaman Convention." He paused. "I need you to come, as well."

Anna looked at him in the eye. "Is something going to happen?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so."

Anna pondered for a moment and then agreed.

"Very well." Shotoku said, "We leave at dawn."

a/n: Pleeez review!


	3. When And Where

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King…_sigh._

Chapter Three: When and Where

The Shaman Convention takes place every year, at the same time and place. It's a time for shamans to mingle, to interact and maybe even have a fight or two, all in good fun. And at the midst of it all, is the Shaman King. The one shaman that all the others have come for. His words, his advice and his solution to the problems others would bring is the main highlight of his event.

"I hate going to this thing!" Yoh groaned as he buttoned his shirt.

Manta straightened his own collar in front of the mirror. "This is what you get for being Shaman King, I guess." He said, "Besides, I thought you liked helping all those shamans."

"I don't mind the helping part; it's the speech part that's really getting to me."

"Oh." Manta turned to face Yoh, "Speaking of speech, do you want me to help you?"

"Sure, I guess." Yoh paused. "Maybe I should've let my brother win after all."

Manta laughed.

"Yeah. He's great at speeches. He always seemed to have one ready."

Yoh joined him in laughter.

"Yoh? Are you done yet?"

The voice came from beyond the door.

"Just about. Why don't you come in, Utsumi?" Yoh called back.

The door opened and Utsumi walked in. She smiled at Manta, who returned the gesture.

"Len called. He said they were going to meet us there, instead." She said.

Yoh thought for a moment. "What about Horo-Horo? Did he call?" he asked.

"No. I suppose we'll just meet them along the way." Utsumi said with a smile.

Yoh grinned at her. "Yeah, I guess we will. Can you tell Ryu we'll be going soon? You should finish up, too."

Utsumi nodded. "Yoh, don't forget to bring the food, alright?"

"How could I forget that?"

Utsumi laughed gaily and kissed Yoh lightly on the cheek. "Hurry up, Yoh." She turned to Manta, "You, too. Manta. We can't be late." She then strode out of the room.

Manta looked at Yoh with a grin. The Shaman King frowned and began to turn red.

"What?"

His friend just whistled. "Oh, nothing." He said in a teasing tone.

"Ha ha. Very funny."

"We're here. Patch Village."

Anna opened her eyes at the sound of Keiji's voice. She was trying sleep during the whole trip, with no success.

"Need some help, Anna?"

Anna turned to look at Keiji's smiling face. _How can he be so cheerful at this time of day? _She thought. Nevertheless, Anna hauled herself from the car and began straighten her skirt. She looked around.

"Where's Master Shotoku?"

Keiji closed the car door behind her. "He told me he'll just meet us in our room, later on." He answered.

"Room?"

"Oh that's right!" Keiji whacked himself in the head, "This is your first Shaman Convention, right? They actually provide us rooms since we would be staying for a week."

Anna nodded in understanding.

"Come on. I'll show you around." Keiji grabbed Anna's hand and began to lead her inside the building.

"The dining hall is all set, sir. About 10,000 chairs, that's more than last year…"

Yoh nodded absentmindedly.

"Now about dinner, sir. We're not sure if we should serve fish or the steak…"

At the mention of food, Yoh perked up. "Why not serve both?" he suggested.

"An excellent idea, sir. But about the flowers…"

"Yellow roses would be wonderful."

Yoh whirled around and found Utsumi standing right behind him. She gave him a wide smile.

"It's my favorite, remember?"

"Uh, yeah. I remember." Yoh turned to face his companion once again, "Yellow roses it is then."

The woman nodded and began to write it down. Before she could ask another question, Yoh beat her to it.

"Have all the guests arrived, yet?"

The woman shook her head.

"Tell me when they're all here, alright? And can you find Silva and tell him I want to talk to him? Thanks." Yoh hurried in case she decided to ask if he would prefer paper napkins to cloth ones. He honestly didn't care.

But the woman just bowed obediently and left.

"You shouldn't treat your subjects like that, Yoh." Utsumi scolded, lightly.

"I wouldn't really call them "my subjects"."

"That's besides the point."

Yoh scratched his head. "Yeah, well. What do I know about flowers and linens? It's not like I became Shaman King for that stuff."

Utsumi raised her eyebrow, teasingly. "Why did you become Shaman King, then?"

"To save the world." Yoh replied with a grin.

Utsumi moved closer to him. "That's what I like about you, Yoh." She whispered and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Suddenly, Yoh felt very uncomfortable.

"Uh, maybe we shouldn't do this here, someone could walk in any minute." Yoh said, entangling himself out of Utsumi's arms.

Utsumi frowned.

"We better get going anyway. I need to talk to Silva." Yoh added, grabbing hold of her hand.

"Well…alright." Utsumi gave in reluctantly.

They walked on, holding each other's hands, with Yoh thinking,

_What's wrong with me?_

Anna rubbed her wrists. Keiji grabbed held them so hard, they hurt.

_At least I finally got away from him. He's nice, but why does he always have to be… there?_

Even she was finding it hard get the right words for him. To be honest, she was feeling guilty of thinking these things. He was always so nice to her, sometimes, too nice. As usual, he was hovering around her a little too close for comfort.

Anna sighed. _What am I complaining about? I should be grateful I have at least **one **friend._

She turned around a corner and then stopped. She stared.

The two people in front of her stopped as well. But only the guy registered the same shocked expression of Anna's.

Nobody moved for a moment. After a few seconds, the guy spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Anna."

And in Anna's head, she replied,

_Yoh._

a/n: Hey! Thanks for the reviews, guys. Continue, though. Tell me if I'm making mistakes or what. And if you have questions, just ask. By the way, did I take too long to update? What's the normal time for updation, anyway?

To:

BluRosEs: No, Anna's not a sewing machine worker. As for the other question, you have to read to find out. (I know, I'm cruel. Sorry.) Tnx for reviewing!


	4. Somewhere Other Than Here

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, blah, blah, blah.

Chapter Four: Somewhere Other Than Here

_Yoh._

Anna stood still. It was as if time had stopped, but her heart was still beating. And it was going faster by the second.

Yoh was stunned as well. His hands went cold.

Utsumi turned to him, noticing that the hand she held was like ice. "What's wrong Yoh?" she asked.

At the sound of her voice, Anna finally took notice of her.

Anna sucked in her breath. This was turning into a very awkward situation.

Meanwhile, Yoh's mind was in a blur. He couldn't think. He was barely aware that Utsumi was looking at him with concern. His eyes never left Anna's face.

_Say something._

The thought surged into Yoh's mind, urging him. Still, he hesitated.

_Say something._

It kept nagging him and he finally forced the last of his reluctance away.

"Ann-"

"ANNA!"

Yoh's feeble attempt was cut short by…a guy?

_A guy who looks suspiciously like our age,_ Yoh observed as the said person grabbed Anna's hand.

Anna winced as Keiji touched her hand. They still haven't recovered from Keiji's hold a few seconds ago.

"I've been looking all over for you." Keiji said, worry etched clearly in his blue eyes and completely oblivious to Yoh and Utsumi's presence.

Anna's initial irritation gave way to guilt. He was only concerned and it was her fault, anyway.

"Master Shotoku's already in our rooms, he wants to talk to you."

Anna frowned. "Is something wrong?' she asked.

Keiji shook his head. "I don't think so, but still, we better go." He said.

Nodding her head, Anna agreed and they began to leave. She made a point not to look in Yoh's direction, even though she wanted to.

When they were gone, Yoh was silent, dumbfounded at what just took place.

"Keiji, I need to go to the washroom."

They stopped walking for a moment before Keiji unwillingly let go of her hand.

_Thank you._ Anna thought before entering the washroom.

She stepped in front of the mirror and turned on the faucet. The sound of water soothed her. She really had no business in the washroom. She just needed some time to think, alone. She placed her hands in the rushing water and watched as it spilled from her hands.

_What's wrong with me?_ Anna asked herself. _I knew I was going to see him. This is the Shaman Convention, he's Shaman King. Obviously, he was going to be here._

But she didn't count on him seeing _her._ Anna had expected that she would just hide in the shadows until the Convention was over. They would never have to encounter each other.

_Fat chance of that now,_ she thought glumly.

Her thoughts went back to the scene. An image of Utsumi materialized in her head.

Utsumi. His girlfriend.

She was beautiful, with her black hair and slender built.

_She looked so warm. That's probably why he liked her in the first place. Unlike me, who's just a cold-hearted bitch._

Anna stared resentfully at her reflection in the mirror and then looked at the door. She wondered if Keiji was waiting for her or had already gone to Master Shotoku.

She sighed and turned off the faucet. She snatched some paper towels and wiped her hands with it before walking out.

Keiji did wait for her.

"Our enemies are moving." Shotoku said, solemnly.

"Are they in the convention?" Keiji inquired.

"I'm afraid so," he looked at Anna, "we should do our best to fend them off."

The fire in the fireplace flickered as silence fell on them. Keiji broke it.

"What about the Shaman King?"

Anna spoke, with steel in her voice.

"He will not be involved."


	5. The Other Woman

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.

Chapter Five: The Other Woman

"That was _Anna_!"

Utsumi's voice rang throughout the room. She looked from Yoh to the others, seeking confirmation. Yoh and Utsumi just met up with their friends, hoping to catch up before the convention started. Yoh had just told them what had happened.

Amidamaru appeared and answered Utsumi's question.

"Yes," he said, "Master Yoh's fiancée."

"Ex-fiancée!" Utsumi said sharply, "Right, Yoh?"

Yoh mumbled something indistinguishable.

His friends looked at him, worriedly. He didn't seem like himself. He looked like he was in shock. Was it because of Anna?

Clearly irritated, Utsumi called him, "Yoh? What's the matter with you?"

The Shaman King glanced at her; he had actually been staring at the same spot at the wall, all this time.

"What? Oh, nothing. I'm just concerned about my speech, that's all. I keep getting the idea I'm going to fall flat on my face!" he laughed. It was a fake laugh, but she seemed to have bought it.

Amidamaru, however; hovered behind him, still anxious.

Seeing that Yoh didn't want to discuss the subject any longer, Ren changed it.

"What time would dinner start, by the way?" he asked.

"Seven, I think."

Horo-horo jumped from his seat. "What's for dinner?" he asked, excitedly.

"A lot."

Horo-horo whooped with joy and Ren rolled his eyes at him. The once silent room began to fill with excited talks of the incoming event.

Yoh thanked Ren silently. He was glad he changed the subject. He couldn't take everyone's eyes boring down on him. Especially, Utsumi's.

The rowdy atmosphere provided Yoh the perfect time to think. But the truth was, he didn't know what to think.

_Anna_.

That was a good place to start.

It had only been a few hours ago that he had been dreaming about her. Had his dreams somehow made Anna materialize right in front of him? How he wished that was true. Then he could have all the food in the world. He often dreamt about that.

Yoh rubbed his temples wearily. He was starting to get a migraine. But as the oracle bell rang, he knew he was about to get a bigger one.

It was time for dinner.

Silva watched the lights of the elevator transfer from one number to another.

10.

9.

8.

They were descending towards the first floor, where dinner would commence right after the Shaman King made his welcome speech.

Silva glanced sideways at the boy next to him.

_No, _he corrected himself, _not a boy, but a man._

A man who has proved himself worthy of the title he was holding. But from the silence in the elevator, Silva sensed that all was not well with the young master.

"Something wrong, Yoh?"

He didn't answer. Silva waited before he sprung another question.

"Is it about Anna?"

Yoh's head jerked sharply from its position. Surprise was written all over his face.

"Wha-? H-how did you-?" he stuttered.

Silva smiled.

"We like to keep tabs on our Shaman King."

Yoh furrowed his eyebrows in a frown. "Are you spying on me or something?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, I wouldn't really call it spying…" Silva's voiced trailed off. It didn't look like he was improving Yoh's mood one bit.

The Shaman King didn't speak for a while. When he finally did, he said,

"Do you know why she's here?"

Silva's raised his eyebrows in surprise. " You sound like you're not happy to see her." Silva paused, expecting Yoh to disprove what he had just said.

He didn't.

"You _are_ happy to see her, right?"

Yoh looked at the numbers Silva's eyes had abandoned just moments ago.

"I am. Kind of. I'm just…" Yoh tried to find the right word.

"Confused?" Silva supplied.

"Yeah."

Yoh leaned against the cold elevator wall. "She went away for five years," he said, almost to himself, "Then she returns, leaves after a few seconds and after eight months, she appears again." He gave a hollow laugh, "My friends don't even know she went back eight months ago because she left so fast."

"Why didn't you tell them?"

Yoh shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, that does sound like a very confusing situation." Silva said with a cough.

Yoh sighed in agreement before turning to face Silva, "What do you think I should do?" he asked, almost pleadingly.

Silva looked at Yoh, finally realizing how tired he really looked. It was obvious he had been agonizing over this for the past few hours. Silva groaned inwardly. This was not really his job as guardian. If it had been any other person, he would have stayed as far away as possible. But this was Yoh, and he was…a friend. He couldn't refuse and even if he could, he didn't want to.

" I suggest you talk to her."

"Welcome, Shamans, Spirits… and everyone else in between." Yoh said with his usual laidback grin as the crowd laughed.

He leaned closer to the microphone, "I'm glad you could all come. I know and you know that the Shaman Convention only takes place once a year…" Yoh's voice recited every word from his speech perfectly, with just the right enthusiasm and tone.

Unfortunately, his heart wasn't in it, just like his eyes weren't. They were too busy scanning every table in the room, looking for a certain blonde.

Here and there, he caught glimpses of people who nearly resembled her but was either too short, too fat or had a different gender altogether. It wasn't until he paused in his speech for breath did he see Anna.

"…this is an event to be celebrated, so I suggest you enjoy yourselves. Of course, if you find fighting fun, I'm not really against it as long as nobody gets hurt…"

His mouth moved mechanically, as if it had a mind of its own. Yoh certainly wasn't using his for it. His speech was nearing its end.

Yoh knew no one noticed his mind was somewhere else. Or that his eyes were constantly searching the room all this time. It was one of the things he picked up over the years.

From the sort-of-podium where he was speaking, Yoh watched Anna. She didn't seem to be listening to what he was saying. Or at least, that was the way anyone would view it since she wasn't exactly looking at him like everyone else. Her eyes were cast down. At the rate she was going, her plate would be melting anytime soon.

_Look up, _Yoh willed her, _Come on, look up._

They needed to talk. Silva was right, they had a lot of things to sort out and since she was here, he was going to make the most of it.

_Look up._

She did.

It was long moment when she fluttered her eyelids upwards and unintentionally locked her eyes with his own. Yoh felt relief flood through him and he tried to grasp that moment for as long as he could, but Anna broke it. She looked away, staring once again the meaningless object in front of her.

"…if you have any problem whatsoever just come see me. But, once again, enjoy your stay and thanks for coming!"

Yoh sat down in his chair and listened to the applause that filled the room.

Anna didn't look at Yoh again. Yoh knew because he had been glancing at her all throughout dinner. He gave up and decided to just wait after.

There was an unofficial schedule that was followed every first night of the Shaman Convention. First came the speech, then the dinner. Next, was the entertainment and finally, the mingling.

It was at this time, as Yoh was talking to one blind shaman that he spied on Anna walking towards the balcony, alone.

"You're heart rate is beating a little faster." The blind shaman informed him.

"Oh, really? Thanks." Yoh said absentmindedly, forgetting that this particular shaman had the ability to hear very well. "Uh, you don't mind if I go right now, do you?"

"Not at all."

Yoh hurried away, sidestepping the maze of people blocking his way. As he neared the balcony, he slowed down and silently walked. He hoped Anna wouldn't realize he had followed her and walk away. Half-afraid that she was already gone, Yoh walked outside.

He breathed a silent sigh of relief to see that she was still there, leaning against the railing, staring at the moon, with her hair billowing around her. Yoh didn't move, mesmerized. He felt like he was staring at a scene taken right out from the painting. He was afraid to ruin it. Yet, somehow, he had the feeling that Anna knew he was there. No matter how silent he had walked or how unnoticeable he came, she knew. He took a deep breath and proceeded to do the task at hand.

a/n: Really sorry It took me soooo long to update! I've been really busy! Hope you forgive me. By the way, thanks for all those reviews! You know you can insult me, right? I not saying you should, but if you have things to say that would improve my writing, well…


	6. Just Talking

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King, I do not own Shaman King, I do not own Shaman King.

Chapter Six: Just Talking

The Shaman King advanced towards the itako, no longer careful if he was heard or not. Anna already knew he was there. He was sure of that now.

She didn't acknowledge him as he arrived by her side. She continued to stare at the sky, at the moon, which was shaped in a perfect crescent. Yoh rested his elbows at the railing of the balcony. For a long moment, they stood like that, with Yoh occasionally glancing at Anna to see if she was still there.

Slowly, he began to panic. It was important that he would be able say the right thing at the right time. His heart began to beat faster, his breathing, heavier. _Think, _he urged himself, _think!_

From the corner of his eye, he saw Anna move. Just a little. Thinking it was a sign that said she was already running out of patience, Yoh blurted out the first that his panicked mind produced,

"You're hair is long."

Yoh mentally kicked himself, _Shit. Did I just say that? What kind of comment was that? _He was half afraid to look at her now. _I blew it, _he thought.

However, Anna was still there. She had now torn her gaze from the moon and rested it on Yoh, her eyebrow raised. "My hair was already long the last time we met," she remarked.

Yoh, who had fully expected to receive a slap from Anna for his stupidity, almost fainted in relief. _But then, _he reasoned, _a slap would've been more familiar._

He thrust his hands inside his pocket and grinned sheepishly. "I know, but I didn't get to comment on it the last time," his voice softened, "you went away so fast, I didn't get the chance."

Anna turned away at this. Silently, she cursed herself. She didn't want this confrontation. Yet, she had allowed him to approach her. True to Yoh's suspicions, Anna did know he had followed her, and for some reason Anna herself did not know, she didn't avoid him.

Yoh knew he made a mistake. He shouldn't have brought the subject up so fast. He decided to back off, for now. Once again, he leaned against the railing, his head turned towards Anna.

"It looks good on you, the hair, I mean," he said as Anna gave him a puzzled look. "Not that the short one didn't look good or anything," he added hastily, just in case.

Anna didn't say anything. Yoh took this as a sign for him to go on.

"Will you believe that I came this close to having a punk hairstyle?" Yoh put two fingers close together, "Horo-horo almost convinced me four months ago that it was the way to go. Of course, there was a time I wanted to grow my hair really long-"

"You'd look like Hao," Anna retorted.

Yoh grinned, "Yeah. That's why I never did it."

He continued talking and for a while, Anna allowed his voice to wash over her. It had been a long time since she last heard it and for now, she was almost content to just listen to it and not do anything else. Strangely, it comforted her to hear such a sound. She supposed it was because it used to be so familiar, something that reminded her of the past, a time when life was a lot less complicated.

Yoh stopped talking suddenly and joined her in admiring the moon. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he whispered. A silence ensued until finally,

"Anna, why did you go?"

Anna sighed softly. She knew it would come to this, sooner or later. Without looking at him, she said, "What do you want, Yoh?"

"I already told you what I want. I want to know why."

Anna shook her head and turned to face him. Her eyes were empty and emotionless, almost the same as when they were kids, but Yoh thought that this time, it was different.

"Yes, but what do you want that for, Yoh?" Anna asked quietly, "you don't need it."

"What are you talking about?" Yoh exclaimed incredulously, "Of course I need it. I need to understand everything that's happened. Why you went away, why you didn't come back, why after all those years that we'd been together, we come to this!"

Yoh breathed slowly, he was losing his cool, he knew that. He looked at Anna, who was, once again, silent. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Yoh, you have a great life, don't you know that? You should learn to appreciate it."

Removing himself from the railing, Yoh said exasperatedly, "Can you stop talking in riddles?"

"I'm not."

"Then what do you mean I should appreciate my life? Of course I appreciate it," Yoh said.

"Then stop this."

Yoh looked at Anna in disbelief. What was she talking about? "What?"

"Go back to your friends, Yoh. What happened, happened. It was a long time ago. You should drop it." Anna said, without changing the expression on her face.

The Shaman King brushed his hand through his hair in frustration. "Look Anna," he began, "You want me to go back to my friends? Fine. Problem is, you're my friend, too, remember? I just want­–"

"We're not friends, Yoh."

Her words cut through him like a knife and for a moment he stood, rooted to the spot he was standing in.

"Wh-what?" he stammered.

"You should already know what true friends are by now," Anna looked at the ground, "friends are people who stick by you. I… I haven't done that, have I?" For a second, a strange expression flitted through her face. Was it guilt?

Yoh began to laugh. It was starting to make sense to him now. "Is that it? That's why you wouldn't come back?" he said, smiling widely. "Come on, Anna. You should know me better than that. Of course we're still friends, nothing's changed. I mean, I know we're no longer engaged but still, that doesn't mean we can't be friends, right? It's okay, I forgive you."

"I wasn't asking for forgiveness." Anna's voice had turned cold.

"Of course, you weren't," Yoh said, using a tone that sounded like he was talking to a stubborn child, "I'm just saying that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself, that's all"

Anna was angry. Yoh was starting to infuriate her! Why can't he understand that that wasn't the case?

"Yoh, I stopped being your friend the minute I left you in that forest eight months ago."

"Come on Anna, stop being–" Yoh started.

"And I wanted it that way."

For the second time, the words coming from Anna's mouth sent shockwaves through his system. Yoh looked at her, confusion starting to pour in. He thought he already knew what was going on but… what was going on?

"You, your friends and everything else that is connected to you, I already cut from my life, you should do the same about me." There was no emotion in Anna's voice; it was as if she had already memorized it word for word.

It took a great effort for Yoh to finally speak, "I don't believe you."

"Frankly, I don't really care if you do or not. The important thing I did what I came here to do."

Yoh steadied himself, he still haven't quite recovered from the blow she had given him. "You came to the Shaman Convention just so you can tell me that my friends and I are like insignificant bugs to you?" he asked sardonically.

If Anna was affected by what he said, she didn't show it, instead she was silent. In a way, she was glad Yoh had mentioned it. For a second, she had forgotten why she was in the Shaman Convention in the first place. It wasn't for Yoh, it was never about him. It was for something else. Something more important.

However, Yoh was the reason she didn't escape when she knew he was following her. She owed him the truth, even if it wasn't the whole truth. As long as she did that, her obligation was done and she wouldn't have to talk to him again.

"I still don't believe you."

Anna shook herself from her reverie and found herself staring at Yoh's eyes which were boring down on her. She shrugged her shoulders, "You don't have to, if you don't want to," she said.

"Anna, why are you doing this? Why don't you just tell me what happened five years ago, drink some tea afterwards and forget everything that happened?"

His tone was almost pleading and somehow, Anna was amused by this. Only Yoh could suggest something so ridiculous.

"If life would be that easy, then you won't have much of a job, would you, your highness?" she said coolly, referring to his title.

Yoh's emotions have already been building up a long time ago, giving way to anger, "That's right, I am Shaman King," he said, "And I order you to tell me what I want to know!"

It was feeble attempt; Yoh knew that Anna would never submit to that. Still, he waited for her answer, when she didn't give it, he said,

"I'm sorry Anna, I know I'm acting like a jerk." He sighed, "It's been weird, that's all. I just want to know why."

They were back to that again.

Why.

Anna was tired of it. "That's none of your business." She said.

"I could make it mine."

Anna's eyes turned hard as steel, "Leave it alone, Yoh. I don't want you anywhere near my life as of now. The only reason I'm talking to you right now is to tell you that. That's it. Now go back to your friends, go back to your girlfriend and leave me alone. We don't know each other anymore, alright?"

_Uh-oh, bad idea._ Anna thought as Yoh advanced towards her. Since they have been talking, they had a considerable distance between them. She took a step backward, but Yoh was already right in front of her. He placed his hands on Anna's shoulders firmly, but they didn't hurt her.

"You can't just decide to leave my life and then come back as you please without offering an explanation. You messed up my life, did you know that?" his voice sounded calm, but it was obvious he was anything but.

"Let go of me, Yoh," Anna said calmly.

"Look, I'm confused and I'm tired of it. Tell me what I need to hear and not that bullshit you've been dishing out earlier."

"I already told you what you needed to hear, now let me go. This conversation is over." Anna wriggled away from Yoh's grip but it was no use.

Meanwhile Yoh wanted to scream and shake her into her senses. Why was she doing this?

"Anna–" he started.

"She said let her go."

A voice came from the darkness and both Yoh and Anna whirled around to see who it was.

_Keiji._ For once in the whole evening, Anna was glad to see. When she said the conversation was over she meant it.

"I know you're the Shaman King, but if you don't let her go, I swear, I'll forget that that title," Keiji said dangerously.

Yoh was tempted for a second to take on his offer for a fight, but thought better of it. He had an image to uphold. Reluctantly, released Anna from his grip.

Keiji removed his eyes from Yoh and looked at Anna with concern. "Are you alright?" he asked. Anna nodded. "That's good," he threw Yoh a dirty look; "We should go, before anything else happens."

Yoh thought he was going to be sick. Who did this guy think he is? But as he watched Keiji led Anna away, he realized this may he just had to try one more time.

"Wait!"

They both stopped and Keiji frowned at him. Yoh ignored him and looked directly at Anna.

"Was it my fault?"

Anna avoided his eyes when she said, "No. It wasn't your fault."

a/n: So sorry I took so long, been really busy. I hope you're not mad at me or anything. I'll try to update faster. I mean, I'll try.  Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. It's the longest one I made so far. Hope it didn't bore you.


	7. The Aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King…

Chapter 7: The Aftermath

Manta Oyamada glanced worriedly at Yoh for the hundredth time. Ever since he had come down for breakfast that morning, he had been as silent as a statue.

His silent demeanor worried Manta. That and the fact that Yoh was emanating an aura of bitterness that could be felt by everyone around him.

Manta heard a small cough and he turned to the person next to him. Ren's eyes bored down on him.

_What?_ Manta thought, confused. He looked around. Actually, _everyone_ was looking at him right now, with the exception of Yoh, of course. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. They wanted _him_ to ask Yoh what was wrong.

_Great,_ he thought, _just great._

Once again, he glanced at Yoh, whose head still hung low. Manta cleared his throat, rather loudly.

"Uh, Yoh?"

He didn't answer, just continued to stare at the cup in front of him. _The cup that, up to now, he still hasn't touched_, Manta observed. He tried again.

"Yoh, are you alright?"

Yoh grunted in response. _Was that a yes or a no? _Manta wondered. He looked at the others and shrugged.

At that moment, the girls came in. Manta sighed in relief as Utsumi sat beside Yoh. If anyone could shake him out of this, it would have to be her.

Utsumi looked at Yoh, then the others and quickly realized that something was not quite right. Gently, she touched Yoh's shoulder.

"Yoh, is something wrong?"

Just like Manta, she got no response. She frowned. This has been going on for two days now. He usually told her if he had a problem. Apparently, this time, it would not be the case.

Out of frustration, she began to shake him. This seemed to have worked for Yoh suddenly looked liked he had been splashed by a bucket of cold water, all wide-eyed and confused.

"Wha–? What are you doing, Utsumi?" he asked.

"Shaking you out of your miserable state, that's what." Ren had risen from his chair. "You look terrible, by the way."

"Yeah, man," Horo-horo joined, "what did you do? Got drunk last night?"

"What are you guys talking about? I feel fine," Yoh said in utter bewilderment.

"Yoh, you have bags under your eyes the size of Mt. Fuji," Utsumi pointed out.

Yoh rubbed his eyes, they did ache. Suddenly, he was acutely aware that everyone was staring at him worriedly, as if he would collapse or even explode any minute. He tried to shake them off.

"I'm alright, really."

Everyone looked at him, disbelievingly.

"Okay, maybe a little tired," he conceded.

Utsumi touched his arm, "Are you sure that's all?" she asked.

"Yes," he lied and instantly felt guilty. He didn't like to lie. But telling the truth right now just felt…inappropriate.

"Maybe you should get some rest."

He lowered himself onto his bed and momentarily tried to sleep. He discarded the idea right away of course. He had not been able to sleep for two days now. Sure, a couple of little drifts into the dream world but a fully-fledged slumber? No, that was out of the question.

Yoh wished Manta and the others had just left him alone. He already felt bad as it was and besides, he didn't want them to join him in his misery. He closed his eyes for a moment before abruptly opening them again. _Dammit!_ He jumped up from the bed. He had to something about this.

He sighed. He _did_ try to do something. Unfortunately, Anna was the one who didn't want anything to be done. Ever since the night of the dinner, he tried everything for them to talk again. He looked for her everywhere, but Anna avoided him somehow. He even asked Silva to see what room she was staying. Incredibly, she wasn't listed.

Yoh groaned in frustration. He wished he did punch that guy…what was his name? Keiji? Yeah, that's right. He gave himself a momentary pleasure of imagining Keiji underneath his fist.

In his mind, he was already giving him the uppercut when Silva entered the room. Reluctantly, he let go of his little daydream.

"How come you guys never knock when you enter a room?" Yoh asked dully.

"We do knock. I just forget from time to time." Silva took in Yoh's appearance. "You better take a bath."

Yoh ran his hand through his hair, "Yes, I know I look terrible. I'll take a shower later."

"You should probably do it now."

Looking curiously at him Yoh asked, "Why?"

"Because you're going to meet an important shaman in half an hour," Silva responded.

Yoh frowned, obviously not pleased, "I'm not in the mood to meet anyone right now."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

For some reason, Silva was very amused, "Are you sure? Like I said, he's very important."

"I don't care," Yoh said bitterly. He threw himself back into the bed.

"Alright, I'll tell him but I think Master Shotoku will be very disappointed." Silva began to move towards the door.

_Master Shotoku?_ Something inside Yoh's head clicked. He turned his head and asked Silva, "What's his name, again?"

Silva stopped and faced Yoh, his amusement now very evident. "I was wondering when you were going to ask that question," he said, "His name is Morihiro Shotoku. He's called 'Master' by many."

Yoh mentally shook his head. Where had he heard that name before?

"Anna arrived with him, as well as the boy you had mentioned."

Suddenly, Yoh's mind went back their encounter in the hallway, that guy, Keiji, had said _Master Shotoku's already in our rooms, he wants to talk to you._

Yoh felt like he had just been electrocuted. "He knows Anna?" he asked the obvious.

"Yes. I assume he does."

Yoh practically skipped towards the bathroom. "How much time did you say I had?" he asked as removed his shirt.

Silva almost laughed at him, "I thought you said you didn't want to meet him?"

Yoh looked at him as if he was crazy. This time Silva did laugh. "Thirty minutes, but we already spent ten minutes talking so­–"

"Twenty minutes. Got it."

He didn't realize he was hungry after all. It took all his effort not to wolf down everything in front of him. Instead, Yoh observed the man in front of him. Funny, he expected someone older, with lots of white hair and even balding, like his grandfather. But Master Shotoku still had his hair and only a few white ones at that.

"So… what did you want to talk about?"

Shotoku looked up from his teacup, his eyes twinkling. "Nothing, really. I just thought we could have a nice little chat. How are you holding up?"

Yoh was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

Shotoku began buttering a roll, "How are you holding up as Shaman King?"

Yoh took a drink from his own cup before answering, "Fine, I guess." He drummed his fingers against the wooden table. Finally, he decided not to beat around the bush any further.

"Look, you may have come here for a chat but I didn't."

Shotoku smiled at him, "I knew that," he said.

Yoh was confused for a second, "You did?"

"Yes, of course. I'm not stupid."

"I'm not saying you are," Yoh said quickly, "Sorry, though."

Shotoku laughed, "You, by far, are the most amusing Shaman King this world has ever had."

"Thanks, I guess." Yoh said wryly.

"Oh, right, right," Shotoku said, wiping his eyes, "let's go down to business, shall we? What did you want to talk about?"

Yoh took a deep breath, "Anna."

Shotoku poured himself and Yoh another cup of tea, "Oh yes, I'm very fond of that girl, you know."

"Is she alright?"

Stirring his tea, Shotoku said, "Of course she is, why wouldn't she be?"

Yoh watched the circular motion Shotoku was making with his hand, "We talked about two nights ago and–"

"Oh, that's right, Anna told me about your little talk."

_I wouldn't call our talk 'little', _Yoh thought, "She told you about that?"

"Yes."

Yoh waited, but he did not supply any more information. "And?" he prompted.

"There is no 'and'."

Leaning back against his chair, Yoh sighed. This was going to take some work, not to mention a lot of patience. _Either Anna spent too much time with this guy, or vice-versa,_ he thought. Out loud, he said, "I need to talk to her."

Shotoku fixed him with a look. "I'm afraid she doesn't want to talk to you," he said.

"I thought you said there was no 'and'," Yoh uttered.

"I didn't think this qualified as an 'and'."

"Yes, it does," Yoh said exasperatedly.

"Very well, then." Shotoku wiped his hands with his tablecloth and folded them in front of him, "Anna told me about your talk two nights ago _and _didn't want to talk to you again." His eyes were twinkling; he was obviously playing with him.

Under normal circumstances, Yoh would have laughed. But the situation right now was far from normal. He was tired, he hadn't slept for two days and his stomach wanted some attention. Actually, he was barely functioning at all.

"If Anna's mad at me then can't she give me the chance to say I'm sorry?" Yoh asked, almost pleadingly.

"She's not mad at you, my boy," Shotoku's eyes were now more serious, it even lost some of its twinkle. But Yoh wasn't really paying attention to that; he was more interested in what he was saying.

"She's not?" Yoh found that hard to believe. She looked pretty mad. Furthermore, if she wasn't, then why didn't she want to talk to him?

However, Shotoku confirmed his answer with a nod. "You shouldn't think much about it, she thinks this is for your own good. Frankly, I do, too."

"My own good?" Yoh repeated in disbelief. Somehow, that was also hard to believe. "So, telling me my friends and I are unimportant even though we went through a lot together is for my own good, huh?" he said sarcastically. Shotoku looked at him blankly.

"That's what she said. She said that was the reason she came here in the first place." Yoh said in a resigned tone.

"What on earth made you think that _you_ were the reason she came to the Shaman Convention?"

Yoh looked up, meeting Shotoku squarely in the eye. "What?" he asked, now more confused than ever.

Shotoku sighed, as if a task was before him and he didn't want to do it. "Anna didn't come here for you; a more important reason presented itself for her to come. As much as possible, she didn't want to see you at all. You presented too many complications."

The Shaman King was silent. For a while all that could be heard from the room was the soft clinking of china as Shotoku busied himself with the drinks and avoided Yoh's eyes. When he offered Yoh his drink, he took it, stirring it in an almost robotic function.

"You won't tell me why, would you?" Yoh asked, although he already knew the answer.

"No, I'm afraid."

Yoh proceeded to stare at the clock right above Shotoku's head. He concentrated on timing the beating of his heart to that of the clock. It could help him calm down. But his head was already starting to hurt so he gave it up.

"So, who's that Keiji guy?"

If Shotoku noticed the abrupt change in the subject, he did not voice any objections. He would have done the same, anyway.

"One of my closest, well, I won't say disciple, but he's been with me for a long time," he explained, "I have trained him since he was a child. Amazing, isn't it?"

"I guess," Yoh said listlessly, "he and Anna seem very, uh, close."

"Keiji cares very much for Anna. I suppose it's she's one of the few persons in my place that's his age. Nevertheless, he's very protective." Shotoku said wistfully, "You have a girlfriend, I'm sure you know the feeling."

"No offense, but I think he's a jerk," Yoh said, without thinking.

"Well, if you give him a reason to, he could be one."

Yoh thought about it. Actually he did give him a reason. He touched his precious Anna. _I guess that did it._

Shotoku turned around his chair to look at the clock Yoh had been staring at earlier.

"My, my, we've been here a little too long, haven't we? Very sorry, I don't want to keep you from your other duties," he said cheerfully. Yoh wondered if he_ did_ have other things to do today. He had cleared everything with Silva as far as he knew.

"Now tell me, how are your security measures?"

Now that question, Yoh wasn't expecting. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he wondered if he had heard right.

Shotoku was dusting the crumbs off his clothes as he repeated quite casually, "Your security measures, how are they?"

"Fine, I suppose. Silva would have told me if anything was wrong." Yoh answered.

Shotoku stood up from his chair. Apparently, he was already leaving. As he passed Yoh's chair, he leaned beside him and whispered, "_Always be careful, do you understand?" _

He didn't give time for Yoh to answer as he swept the room towards the door and opened it. "Well, it was a nice chat, wasn't it? I'm glad you agreed to it. We should repeat it sometime. I'll see you later." Shotoku waved gleefully and left.

Yoh, however didn't leave right away. He remained frozen in his seat, thinking that it hadn't been a 'little chat' after all. No, it was far from it.

a/n: Hey guys, thanks for all those reviews. I really appreciate it! I'm sorry if I'm only updating one chapter at a time. I was supposed to do it by two, but I got real busy. Really sorry about that. Anyway, this is my new longest chapter ever! I just wanted to ask if its okay for you guys that the chapters are getting a lot longer, I'll cut it of you have a problem with that. Oh yeah, please answer this one, is there a Shaman King Movie? I really want to know so I can buy it…


	8. Fireworks in the Hall

Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King…

A/N: Really sorry this took so long, I've been extremely busy. Don't get confused in this chapter. You might think that this may not be part of the storyline 'cause it's so different and has no connection to the previous chapter but just read on. Tnx.

Chapter 8: Fireworks in the Hall

_Boom!_

The sound threatened to shake the dining hall out of its very foundations, if the explosion hadn't done that already.

The second Yoh went up from his chair, he was immediately thrown against the wall with a force so strong, it almost knocked him out.

What was supposed to be a routine dinner was turning out to be a disaster by all standards. A few minutes ago, all the shamans were eating, talking, just as they had on any other night of the conference. Now, they were running everywhere in utter confusion.

As the dust settled and the smoke cleared around him, Yoh saw the silhouettes of his friends surrounding him.

"You alright, Asakura?" Ren asked while gripping his spear a little tighter, in full defense mode.

Yoh clutched the edge of the crater he had created as he crashed into the wall and straightened up.

"I guess."

He dusted off his clothes before turning his attention to the scene before him.

Balls of energy were being hurled everywhere, hitting anything, although it seemed that it had no definite target.

"What the heck is going on?" Horo-horo yelled over the commotion.

Yoh pulled his own sword from his waist before replying, "I don't know." He turned to the man who had appeared next to him, questioningly, "Silva?"

The Oracle shrugged, "Your guess is as good as ours. We never saw this coming."

The Shaman King clenched his fist as they all watched someone fly into the air as he got hit. "This is getting a little out of hand," he said.

"I agree," Ren looked at Yoh, "What do you say we do something about it?"

Yoh nodded, "Alright, guys, everything seems to be coming from that direction," he pointed straight ahead, "On the count of three. _One,"_

Simultaneously, they began to revv up their furiyoku.

"…_Two,"_

The turmoil in the hall was intensifying, building up.

"_Three."_

Everything stopped. The attacks, as well as, the horrendous screaming ceased. It was as if someone pressed the pause button on the remote.

Ryu, who was on the verge of rushing head-on towards battle with his wooden sword, almost tripped in the sudden change of atmosphere.

"What's going on?" he spluttered, clearly confused.

"Shut up!" Ren quickly hissed, "Listen."

They let the sudden silence envelope them. The dining hall was a mess. Yoh could hardly recognize it. Heck, they could hardly _see _in it because of all the smoke and debris. It didn't matter, though. Yoh knew spirits that could fix the whole place up in minutes. What did matter was the person responsible for it, whoever he or she is.

They heard it all at the same time.

The subtle, but sure footsteps of a person coming right towards them.

Yoh's shoulders tensed. There was definitely something eerie going on. But what was it?

The footsteps finally stopped and a figure emerged.

For a moment, Yoh wondered if he had hit the wall too hard. The person in front of them did not resemble any bad-guy-bent–on-world-destruction at all. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, for crying out loud!

Yoh lowered his sword gingerly and observed the boy, from the tip of his black hair, down to his very ordinary sneakers. He looked like he was about their age.

He grinned at them, nervously, "Uh, hi."

Yoh groaned in disbelief. What was this, a prank?

"I can't believe we almost nuked that guy," Horo-horo muttered. Lyserg nodded in agreement.

"But where's the attacker?" Utsumi asked anxiously and Yoh glanced at her, he hadn't realized that that she was already with them.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Blood was staining one of her shirtsleeves.

She looked at him reassuringly, "I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

Reluctantly, Yoh tore his gaze off of her and began concentrating on answering her previous question. Where was the attacker?

He closed his eyes and began to channel his energy into his surroundings. He began to reach out, searching and searching—

"_You're a lot tougher than I thought."_

Yoh immediately pried his eyes open and swiveled around to face the speaker.

The black-haired guy had not moved from his position. Instead, he had his hands in his pockets and was eyeing him very carefully.

Everyone else just stared right back at him.

"What are you—" Yoh began.

The guy shrugged his shoulders, "I thought I hit you hard enough to knock you out, guess I was wrong."

Yoh took a step back, "You? You're the one who—"

He cut him off, yet again.

"I don't look the part, right? Well, not everyone can be as fashionable as your brother, to say the least. However," his grin grew wider, "but if you want that look so bad, I could oblige."

A gust of wind began to surround him until he was no longer in sight. It took only an instant for it to subside, revealing him, in different clothes, of course.

Everyone gawked at him. He certainly looked the part now.

Dressed in the darkest blue with a cloak to match, he stroked his chin amused by everyone's reaction.

"Like they say, never judge a book by its cover, am I right?" He narrowed his eyes. "You should have attacked me when you first saw me, not that it would hurt. Oh well, it doesn't matter now."

He raised his hand above his head and in it a great amount of furiyoku began to form.

Yoh had no doubt that this time, he definitely has a target.

He tried to brace himself against the attack or at least, get out of the way, but he found that he was locked in place. From the grunts that his friends were producing, he guessed that they had come to the same conclusion.

"Y-Yoh, what do we do?" Manta panted, trying to put up a brave front. It wasn't easy, even Yoh was starting to feel the first signs of horror as furiyoku continued to swivel around them, just waiting to assault.

"Channel your furiyoku now!" He yelled, "We just might break his bind on us!"

Their killer, torturer, or whoever the hell he was, laughed. "Don't bother, Shaman King! You can't break it. For one thing, it's too strong, even for you. And another," his eyes glinted, "That's not furiyoku your fighting."

Yoh suddenly felt a sense of foreboding, but quickly shook it off and concentrated more. There was no way he wasn't using furiyoku to keep them in place. _Everything_ was made of furiyoku. All his experience as both a shaman and the Shaman King proved that.

But as he tried again and again to break his hold the little wisps of hope began to fade and panic began to settle in.

"I don't think he was kidding Asakura," Ren wheezed out, clearly exhausted.

"We're going to die!" Horo-horo cried.

Yoh had no doubt that they will and from the looks of it, pretty soon. His life was already beginning to flash in front of him. His furiyoku was almost gone and he felt his friends weakening around him.

He needed to keep fighting.

He started to draw the last of his furiyoku out and attempt release himself once again.

But it was too late.

The huge ball of furiyoku was hurtling towards them, barely inches from their positions. Any second they would feel their skins burning, melting into oblivion. They were going to die.

Yoh didn't feel anything. He supposed it was quick and painless. Although, he was still out of breath and his body was aching like hell. But you don't really get hurt when you're already dead. Don't you? That was what Amidamaru said.

Realization sunk in and he opened his eyes. He looked around him. His friends were still there, also completely bewildered from what had happened. The wall behind them was completely obliterated. And in front of them was a…barrier?

The stranger who tried to do them damage was still standing in the same position as he did before. He didn't look the bit surprised at this development. He even smiled.

"Well, well. Long time no see, Anna."


End file.
